Car door



Jan; 22, 1924. 1,481,439 N. N. SELLERS CAR DOOR Filed April 14 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 v ATTORNEY wrmms:

Jam, 22 1924.

1,481,439 N. N. SELLERS CAR DOOR Filed April 14'. 1.922v 2-sheets snez z INVENTOR Patented Jan. 22, 1924.

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NATHAN N. SELLERS, OF GUTHRIE, OKLAHOMA.

CAR, DOOR.

Application filed April 14, 1922. Serial No. 552,821.

for its object the provision of a peculiarly constructed and mounted door which may or may not be provided with means whereby it will be air tight.

An important object is the provision of a door structure of this character which is provided with novel means whereby the door may be opened and held in position, other means being provided for properly guiding the doors during movement.

Still another object is the provision of a door structure in which the doors will automatically look when closed and remain locked until positively opened by means of the proper key.

An additional object is the provision of a device of this character which will be simple and inexpensive in construction and installation, eflicient in use, positive in action and a general improvement in the art.

With the above and other objects and advantages in view, the invention consists in the details of construction to be hereinafter more fully described and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is an elevation of a portion of a car showing my door structure applied thereto and in closed position,

Figure 2 is a similar view sh wing the doors in open position,

Figure 3 is a detail section taken through the meeting edges of the door, the view being taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 1 with the door disassociated from the car,

Figure 4 is a detail view showing a plan of the hinge mounting,

Figure 5 is a detail section through the door guide,

Figure 6 is a detail section showing the air excluding cleats, the view being taken on the line 6-6 of Figure 1, the curved guide being omitted,

Figure 7 is a vertical section showing the drum mechanism for opening the doors and Figure 8 is a detail sectional view showing the guide.

Referring more particularly to the drawings the letter A designates a portion of a car having the usual door opening B therein. In carrying out my invention 1 provide a pair of doors 10 which are substantially rectangular in shape except that their lower ends are curved as shown, these doors being pivotally mounted by a hinge structure including leaves 11 secured upon the upper edges of the doors and terminating in interengaging knuckles l2 pivotally connected by a bolt 13 passing through the side of the car or through a suitable block or bracket secured to the car. The lower ends of the doors are confined between the side of the car and a curved guide 14: which is formed of angle ironand which includes a flange 15 secured to the car and a flange 16 which engages the doors. Movement of the doors away from the side of the car is thus positively prevented and injury to the hinge is eliminated.

Journaled at some convenient location through the side of the car is a shaft 17 having a crank handle 18 and carrying a drum 19 about which are wrapped cables 20 which are trained along guide rollers 21 journaled on curved guide. At the ends of the curved guide are mounted grooved pulleys 23 over which the cables pass, and the ends of the cables are connected with the outer lower corners of the doors as shown at 24. On the drum 19 is a ratchet 25 engaged by a gravity pawl 26 for the purpose of holding the shaft and drum against rotation so that thedoors may be held open.

Associated with the lower ends of the doors is'a lock device which includes a casing 27 which receives a latch bolt 28, the casing being mounted upon one door and th latch bolt on the other. The specific lock structure forms no part of the present invention and it may be of any desired type, the casing being however shown as provided with a key hole opening 29 for the insertion of the proper key for releasing the bolt 28 to permit the doors to be opened.

The structure thus far described is highly suitable for use on box cars, but when it is desired tones the device on refrigerator cars it is highly desirable to provide means for rendering the door air tight. In accomplishing this I prefer to rabbet the inner edges of the doors as shown at 30 so that the edges will interfit and if desired any suitable packbrackets 22 carried by the loo ing, such as felt or rubber may be provided at these engaging edges. It is also advisable to provide cleats 32 at all the edges of the door opening, thes cleats being engaged by other cleats 31 mounted at the outer lower and upper edges of the door. These cleats might be formed entirely of rubber or they may be constructed of rigid strips having rubber or felt secured thereto.

Assuming that the doors are closed, in or der to open them it is first necessary to unlock the lock structure, after which the crank 18 may be turned whereupon the cables 20 will be wound upon the drum 19 which will result in swinging the doors outwardly and upwardly out of obstructing relation to the door way. The doors are held in open position by engaging the pawl 26 with the: ratchet 25. To close the doors it is merely necessary to release the pawl whereupon the weight of the doorswill cause them to descend, the rabbetededges engaging as shown in Figure 3 and the cleats 32 engaging the cleats 31 for forming air tight joints which will prevent the entrance of warm air into the car. When the door is closed the latch bolt 28 will enter the lock case, so that the locking action will be automatically effeoted.

From the foregoing description and a study of the drawings it will be apparent that I have thus provided a simply constructed and consequently inexpensive door structure for box cars, refrigerator cars and the like although it is of course to be seen that the door structure might be used at a door way in a building of any kind if desired. Owing to the simplicity of the construction and the fewness of the parts it is apparent that there is nothing to get out of order andthat the device should consequently have a long life and satisfactorily perform all the functions for which it is intended.

While I have shown and described the preferred embodiment of the invention, it is of course to be understood that I reserve the right to make such changes in the form, construction and arrangement of parts as will not depart from. the spirit of the in vention or the scope of the subjoined claims.

Having thus described my invention I claim:

1. A door structure comprising a pair of similar door members hingedly mounted at their inner upper corners above the door opening, a curved guide member of angular formation confining the lower ends of the doors and serving as a guide therefor during their movement, and means for swinging both door members upwardly and outwardly simultaneously.

2. A door structure comprising a pair of similar door members hingedly mounted at their inner upper corners above the door opening, a curved guide member of angular formation confining the lower ends of the doors and serving as a guide therefor during their movement, and means for swinging both door members upwardly and outwardly simultaneously, said means comprising a shaft located below the center of the door opening, a drum mounted upon the shaft, a crank handle for turning the drum, and cables secured to and wrapped about said drum, having their intermediate portions trained along under the guide and about guide roll ers at the upper ends of the curved guide, and having their free ends connected with the lower outer corners of the doors.

3. A door structure comprising a pair of similar door members pivoted at their upper corners above the door opening, a curved guide member of angular formation confining the lower ends of the doors and serving as a guide therefor during their movement, a plurality of brackets secured upon and extending outwardly from said guide member, pairs of rollers journaled in said brackets, pulleys mounted at the upper ends of the guide member, a shaft located below the guide member at the center of the door opening and carrying a drum, means for rotating the shaft, and a pair of flexible members having their ends secured to the lower outer corners of the doors, said flexible members being trained over said pulleys and between said pairs of rollers, with their other ends secured to and wrapped upon said drum.

4. A door structure comprising a pair of similar door members hingedly mounted at their inner upper corners above the door opening, a curved guide IDOJIhbGl of angular formation confining the lower ends of the doors and serving as a guide therefor during their movement, and means for swinging both door members upwardly and outwardly simultaneously, cleats secured at all the edges of the door opening and other cleats secured upon the upper, outer and lower edges of the door members and engaging said first named cleats whereby to produce air tight joints.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

NATHAN N. SELLERS. 

